​By Michelle Peralta

​It’s a new year and a new you! Many people make the mistake of having big goals without the proper stepping stones to reach them. Sometimes we do not know where to start or who to ask. Other times we can be so overwhelmed with the vast number of options available to us. Here is a list of phone apps tested by our team and friends that can provide you support as you live a healthier 2017 and beyond.

​By Brian Morrison, DC

Getty Images 2014

Don’t just sit there! “Sitting is the new smoking,” wrote Dr. James Levine in his book, Get Up!: Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It. In an L.A. Times interview, he proclaims: “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.”

​I am frequently asked by patients which chair I recommend for their office or cubical. My reply? “The one you get out of!”

By Kalpana Shere-Wolfe, MD

This is a time of year where regardless of our cultural and spiritual backgrounds, we celebrate love, family, peace and hope. It can be easy to get swept away or overwhelmed with preparations, holiday meals, parties, and gift giving. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season approaches, staying grounded and centered can be more important than ever. Meditation is a wonderful way to achieve this but as the yogis clearly understood stilling the mind is easier said than done. Sound is a wonderful tool for facilitating meditation – it can soothe, tame and center even the most chaotic and busy minds. Whether you are a novice or a long time meditator, sacred sound can keep peace, joy and light at the forefront of the holidays.

Sound is universal and timeless. Peoples from all beliefs, backgrounds and times – ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Shamans, American Indians, Aborigines and more - have used sound for healing and transformation. There are many examples of sound being referenced as a primordial force in our existence. In Vedic tradition, sound is considered a means to link with the Divine or Universal Force – “tasya vacakah pranavah”. The American Indians reference a Spider-Woman who created all forms of life and breathed life by singing Creation song. In the Christian tradition, the Bible states “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

​By Jason Bosley-Smith, MS, LDN, CNS, FDN

Memory, focus, thought, creativity, analysis. Our brains perform these functions and many more in the daily processing of information. Perhaps even more essential, our brains regulate the bodily processes necessary for basic survival. Even the slightest impairment to brain function can be felt in dramatic fashion throughout our bodies whether it’s a lack of mental clarity, altered mood, or a downstream effect in the way we digest food.​According to Gómez-Pinilla, dietary factors can affect multiple brain processes by regulating neurotransmitter pathways, synaptic transmission, membrane fluidity and signal-transduction pathways.(1)

A nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet rich in colorful plant foods and healthy fats serves as the basis for brain-supportive nutrition. To truly target and enhance these various brain processes, research suggests that there are several nutrients that are of particular value:

​By Kalpana Shere-Wolfe, MD

​Ayurveda, which literally means knowledge of life, is the ancient medical system of India. Ayurveda states that we are made up of the same substance as that of the universe – we are an integral part of it and therefore should follow the natural laws of the universe. The major elements or mahabhutas of Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth which make up our world are also part of us. From these arise the doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha which are responsible for maintaining proper function and balance of body and mind. Vata consists of Air and Space and is responsible for bodily functions that involvement movement such as circulation, heartbeat, respiration, elimination. It has the qualities of cold, dry, mobile, subtle, rough, and light. Pitta consists of Fire and Water and is responsible for digestion, metabolism and energy production. It has the qualities of hot, sharp, sour, pungent, liquid, flowing and oily. Kapha consists of Water and Earth and is responsible for physical structure and fluid balance. It has the qualities of oily, heavy, cool, slow, dull, sticky and stable.

Dr. William Rollow is Director of Clinical Services and a practicing integrative and functional medicine physician at the Center for Integrative Health & Healing, the clinical practice of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Digestive health is one of his many specialties. Read his full bio here.

​Here are a few of his thoughts on how to keep your digestive tract working at peak performance.

By Kat Farber, LMT, BCMT

​It was once thought that massage therapy was contraindicated for people with cancer, across the board. Until recent years, massage students were taught it was one of the big “no-no's” in massage, without exception; and many doctors avoided the treatment because they didn't have a full understanding of how it could interact. But increased research over the last 20 years is showing that in most cases massage therapy is not only safe for cancer care, it's actually very beneficial. The concern once was that massage therapy may spread cancer cells based on its involvement with the circulatory system, but these concerns are unfounded. With advancements in our understanding, we now know there are more factors necessary for metastasis to occur, none of which are related to massage therapy.

​By Jason Bosley-Smith, MS, LDN, CNS, FDN

When considering factors that influence mood and mental health, sleep and stress are often top of mind. An essential component that is often overlooked in the stability of mood and cognition is diet. Dietary intake plays a significant role in performance of cognitive tasks, response to stress, and the promotion of positive mood.(1)

Food can affect mood through insufficient or inadequate intake of certain nutrients that impact physiological factors such as neurotransmitter synthesis, the gut-brain axis and inflammation.

By: Michelle Pearce, PhD

​We all experience times of pain and suffering in life. These difficult life events affect our bodies, minds, and spirits, not to mention our relationships, jobs, and priorities. Some people seem to be able to not only move through the suffering, but also to experience growth and strengthening that gives purpose to their pain. How do they do it? And, better yet, how can you do it? One effective way is through writing.

By Michelle Peralta, BS, RYT-200

Earth Month provides us the opportunity to be “more green” and gives us sustainable opportunities with our time here on earth taking care of mother nature. However, our yoga practice can help us feel more rooted to the earth through the soles of our feet and provides us the opportunity to take care of ourselves. The first chakra, our Muladhara, is related to stability, grounding ourselves, and ability to feel safe and trust others. Some issues that are related to not feeling well-grounded include lack of trust, suspiciousness or keeping our guard up, indecisiveness, being easily overwhelmed, going from one crisis to the next, or becoming overly dependent on others. It is good to ground ourselves to the earth for stabilization in our own lives. Here are some quick poses to connect to our Root Chakra when we start to feel out of control, insecure or stressed about the future.​Let’s begin our practice and set our intention to feel grounded within the body, connected to the earth, and give ourselves the opportunity to feel safety and security. In a sitting position, begin with lifting the shoulders up to the ears and letting them slide down the back. If your mind is already racing with thoughts, it might be a good idea to face the palms down resting on the knees. However, if you tend to feel sleepy mid-day, face the palms up to the sky.

Videos were recorded at the University of Maryland URecFIt in Baltimore, MD.Music is ​Sunset by Kai Engel.

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